University of Miami fans won't be seeing any more football games against Florida after their final scheduled meeting in four years. But Canes fans will see plenty of UM-South Florida, and not everyone inside UM is happy about that.

On the UF front, UM athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the Gators informed him they have no interest in playing again after their one remaining scheduled game (2013 at Land Shark Stadium). UF previously expressed willingness to play twice every six years, but changed its mind.

UF athletic director Jeremy Foley said the decision was based on a desire to play seven annual home games. Why can't UF play at UM during a year it plays host to FSU? Foley said that wouldn't work because they would still have four conference road games and the Georgia game in Jacksonville. Hocutt said he's disappointed: ``Miami-Florida is good for college football.''

Meanwhile, with Miami playing USF in Tampa on Saturday -- the first of five consecutive late-November meetings -- there's some sentiment inside UM that playing USF annually isn't the best idea.

The thinking is this: Why add a difficult late-season matchup every year (three of the five will be in Tampa) against a school that is formidable? What if UM goes through a year in national championship contention but has its chances ruined by a nonconference school it doesn't need to play? (Remember, FSU lost at home to USF this season.) And why not schedule seven home games annually instead?

Former UM athletic director Paul Dee said UM and USF planned to play the next three years, but he added two more games because ABC/ESPN wanted another Thanksgiving weekend game.

``They are a worthy opponent in a BCS conference and other teams in our conference play them,'' Dee said. ``Fans can get to the game. There are a lot of positives. When we were a growing program, we wanted people to play us, too.''

Hocutt said he likes ``that your last game is guaranteed in warm weather'' and won't try to escape the contract. But Hocutt also said USF wants to extend the series beyond 2013, and ``I'm not convinced it makes total sense for us.'' Hocutt said he wants to begin scheduling seven home games some years, beginning in 2011 or 2012.

• Because of a Marlins conflict, Hocutt said UM will open next season at home on a Thursday (Sept. 2) against Florida A&M, then play Sept. 11 at Ohio State, and possibly another Thursday (Sept. 23) at Pittsburgh.

• Coach Randy Shannon hasn't started fan favorite Damien Berry (who's averaging a team-high 6.1 yards a carry) and likes to use him a lot in the second half to wear down opponents. But asked if Berry would be just as effective with more carries, Shannon indicated a preference to continue rotating running backs to keep them ``fresh.''

• UM isn't optimistic about its chances of being invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta) or Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) -- though the Gator isn't out of the question. Among the other bowl-site options, UM prefers Orlando (Champs Sports Bowl), with Nashville and Charlotte, N.C., also possibilities.

CHATTER

• Among the rising prospects we hear Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland has been scouting on college campuses recently: LSU receiver Brandon LaFell, Syracuse nose tackle Arthur Jones and Massachusetts guard/tackle Vladimir Ducasse. . . . Talked this week to an NFC personnel director who raved about fullback and Pro Bowl candidate Lousaka Polite, especially his blocking. ``It's hard to find fullbacks knocking guys on the ground and he had three of them'' against Carolina, coach Tony Sparano said. Plus, Polite is 8 for 8 on third- or fourth-and-1 conversions this season, and 19 for 20 in his Dolphins career.

• Ugh: The Heat's starting small forward (Quentin Richardson for 11 games, James Jones for two) has been outscored 265-94 by the opponent's starter at the position (20.4 points a game, compared with 7.2). Richardson, out with back problems, ``is an injury waiting to happen and Jones has been a disaster,'' an Eastern Conference scout said. ``Jones has to be a spot-up three point shooter, or what's the point of playing him?'' But the Heat continues to have defensive concerns about giving power forward Michael Beasley more playing time at small forward.

• Josh Johnson's decision not to sign a multiyear contract went beyond the Marlins' refusal to offer a four-year deal, instead of three. The sides also were far apart on money. But the Marlins have no plans to trade him in the next year. ``We do love Josh,'' owner Jeffrey Loria said Tuesday, declining to comment on talks. . . .

FYI: Loria, who wrote a congratulatory note to former Marlins manager Joe Girardi for winning the World Series with the Yankees -- there hasn't been a response -- said reports he considered hiring Bobby Valentine as manager had ``nothing to do with reality.''. . . Among their top free agents, the Marlins are trying to re-sign Ross Gload but haven't made an offer to Nick Johnson and don't believe they can afford Kiko Calero.